Advancements in Liposculpture Demonstrated

Three live surgeries were carried out in front of more than 110 doctors at the second edition of the Marbella International Plastic Surgery Summer School (MIPSS) in June.

The medical meeting, organised by Ocean Clinic Marbella, aims to share learnings among peers from around the globe. Live demonstrations given this year included a midface lift with blepharoplasty (eye bag surgery), transaxillary breast augmentation (implants inserted via armpit incision) and liposculpture with intraoperative dermal tightening.

Advancements in Liposculpture Demonstrated

The surgeries took place in Ocean Clinic’s state-of-the-art operating theatre in Marbella and were broadcasted live into the auditorium at H10 Andalucia Plaza Hotel.

Ocean Clinic’s Dr Sonja Kästner worked with Dr Christian Grüber of Germany on the liposculpture procedure, which utilised the BodyTite system. BodyTite is powered by RFAL (Radio-Frequency Assisted Lipolysis).

The idea behind RFAL is that it is superior at reaching deep fat while remaining minimally invasive. At the same time, it provides contraction of the dermis and tissue, ensuring patients aren’t left with loose skin.

Radio frequency energy is transmitted through an electrode in the cannula. The waves are guided upwards, delivering uniform heat through the fat (up to 2 inches deep) and turning it into liquid. The fat is immediately suctioned from the body via the cannula, which means that treatment time is reduced.

Meanwhile, the waves stimulate the production of collagen beneath the skin, causing it to significantly contract. This makes the treatment area appear both slimmer and more toned.

The results offered by BodyTite can negate the need for more invasive surgery like tummy tucks or arm lifts, where large incisions must be made. With these treatments, patients are left with long scars where excess skin has been removed.

A patient undergoing liposculpture with RFAL, on the other hand, will need only tiny incisions for insertion of the cannula, resulting in invisible or barely noticeable scars. Because it is significantly less invasive, patients will also experience less pain and quicker healing.

During the live demonstration, Dr Kästner and Dr Grüber were able to remove a large amount of fat from the patient’s abdomen and achieve pleasing shaping of the core.

Dr Kästner said: “The results offered by RFAL are compareable to those previously only achievable through surgical means, but without the associated downtime.

“Compromised skin following extensive fat extraction is always a concern, but BodyTite appears to offer a good solution. Previous studies have shown contraction of up to 47% after one year. It’s an exciting new tool in body contouring.”